KYIV, 25 November 2011 – A specially equipped classroom for training police cadets in dealing with domestic violence cases was opened today at the Kyiv Academy of Interior with support from the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine (PCU).

The opening marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the start of the annual international campaign "16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence".

The classroom, equipped with audio and video recording equipment, a TV screen and multimedia presentation equipment will be used by the Academy to stage real-life domestic violence scenarios to enhance future police officers’ understanding of this issue and improve their skills in dealing with perpetrators and victims.

The training facility will also help police officers and cadets understand their role in preventing, combating and identifying domestic violence and referring victims for further assistance and rehabilitation.

"Police officers play a key role in state response to domestic violence, and the use of this interactive classroom will help future precinct police inspectors learn how to react more effectively to domestic violence," said Ambassador Lubomir Kopaj, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine.

A similar classroom, opened in Dnipropetrovsk State University of Interior with support from the OSCE PCU, has been in service for two years.

“Thanks to the new training facilities precinct police officers would learn how to better apply relevant legal provisions and independently take decisions when they deal with conflicts deriving from domestic violence, said Arkadiy Zaporozhtsev, Deputy Head of Offences Prevention Department of the Ministry of Interior of Ukraine.

Some 40 representatives from Ukrainian law enforcement authorities, educational institutions and civil society attended the event, which also included a discussion on the state response to domestic violence, the role of precinct police inspectors and operational procedures to be followed by police handling domestic violence cases.

This activity was organized as part of a PCU-implemented project to support Ukrainian institutions in effectively addressing domestic violence.